Chapter III: The Examining Magistrate and the Investigating Divisions

Articles in this section · 4

Article D15-4-4

French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force

Updated 6 Nov 2023

For the application of the provisions of Article 52-1, the judicial courts in which there is an investigating division and the territorial jurisdiction of these divisions are determined as follows:

HEADQUARTERS

TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION
extending to the jurisdiction
of the judicial courts of :

fCour d'appel d'Agen

Agen.

Agen, Auch, Cahors, Marmande.

Aix-en-Provence Court of Appeal

Aix-en-Provence.

Aix-en-Provence, Digne-les-Bains, Tarascon.

Draguignan.

Draguignan.

Grasse.

Grasse.

Marseille.

Marseille.

Nice.

Nice.

Toulon.

Toulon.

Cour d'appel d'Amiens

Amiens.

Abbeville, Amiens, Péronne.

Laon.

Laon, Saint-Quentin, Soissons.

Senlis.

Beauvais, Compiègne, Senlis.

Angers Court of Appeal

Angers.

Angers, Saumur.

Le Mans.

Laval, Le Mans.

Cour d'appel de Bastia

Ajaccio.

Ajaccio.

Bastia.

Bastia.

Cour d'appel de Besançon

Besançon.

Besançon, Dôle, Lons-le-Saunier, Lure, Vesoul.

Montbéliard.

Belfort, Montbéliard.

Bordeaux Court of Appeal

Angoulême.

Angoulême.

Bordeaux.

Bordeaux, Libourne.

Périgueux.

Bergerac, Périgueux.

Cour d'appel de Bourges

Bourges.

Bourges, Châteauroux, Nevers.

Caen Court of Appeal

Caen.

Alençon, Argentan, Caen, Lisieux.

Coutances.

Avranches, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, Coutances.

Cour d'appel de Chambéry

Annecy.

Annecy, Bonneville, Thonon-les-Bains.

Chambéry.

Albertville, Chambéry.

Colmar Court of Appeal

Colmar.

Colmar.

Mulhouse.

Mulhouse.

Strasbourg.

Saverne, Strasbourg.

Dijon Court of Appeal

Chalon-sur-Saône.

Chalon-sur-Saône, Mâcon.

Dijon.

Dijon, Chaumont.

Cour d'appel de Douai

Béthune.

Arras, Bethune.

Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Boulogne-sur-Mer, Saint-Omer.

Douai.

Douai, Cambrai.

Dunkirk.

Dunkirk, Hazebrouck.

Lille.

Lille.

Valenciennes.

Avesnes-sur-Helpe, Valenciennes.

Grenoble Court of Appeal

Grenoble.

Gap, Bourgoin-Jallieu, Grenoble, Vienne.

Valence.

Valence.

Limoges Court of Appeal

Limoges.

Brive-la-Gaillarde, Guéret, Limoges, Tulle.

Cour d'appel de Lyon

Bourg-en-Bresse.

Belley, Bourg-en-Bresse.

Lyon.

Lyon, Villefranche-sur-Saône.

Saint-Etienne.

Montbrison, Roanne, Saint-Etienne.

Cour d'appel de Metz

Metz.

Metz, Sarreguemines, Thionville.

Montpellier Court of Appeal

Béziers.

Béziers.

Montpellier.

Montpellier, Millau, Rodez.

Narbonne.

Carcassonne, Narbonne.

Perpignan.

Perpignan.

Nancy Court of Appeal

Epinal.

Epinal, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges.

Nancy.

Bar-le-Duc, Val de Briey, Nancy, Verdun.

Nîmes Court of Appeal

Avignon.

Avignon, Carpentras, Privas.

Nîmes.

Alès, Mende, Nîmes.

Orléans Court of Appeal

Blois.

Blois.

Orléans.

Montargis, Orleans.

Tours.

Tours.

Paris Court of Appeal

Auxerre.

Auxerre, Sens.

Bobigny.

Bobigny.

Créteil.

Créteil.

Evry.

Evry.

Meaux.

Meaux.

Melun.

Fontainebleau, Melun.

Paris.

Paris.

Pau Court of Appeal

Bayonne.

Bayonne.

Mont-de-Marsan.

Dax, Mont-de-Marsan.

Pau.

Pau, Tarbes.

Poitiers Court of Appeal

La Rochelle.

La Rochelle, Rochefort, Saintes.

La Roche-sur-Yon.

La Roche-sur-Yon, Les Sables-d'Olonne.

Poitiers.

Bressuire, Niort, Poitiers.

Reims Court of Appeal

Reims.

Châlons-en-Champagne, Charleville-Mézières, Reims.

Troyes.

Troyes.

Rennes Court of Appeal

Brest.

Brest, Morlaix, Quimper.

Lorient.

Lorient, Vannes.

Nantes.

Nantes, Saint-Nazaire.

Rennes.

Rennes, Saint-Malo.

Saint-Brieuc.

Dinan, Guingamp, Saint-Brieuc.

Cour d'appel de Riom

Clermont-Ferrand.

Aurillac, Clermont-Ferrand, Le Puy-en-Velay, Riom.

Cusset.

Cusset, Montluçon, Moulins.

Rouen Court of Appeal

Evreux.

Bernay, Evreux.

Le Havre.

Le Havre.

Rouen.

Dieppe, Rouen.

Toulouse Court of Appeal

Montauban.

Montauban.

Toulouse.

Albi, Castres, Foix, Saint-Gaudens, Toulouse.

Cour d'appel de Versailles

Chartres.

Chartres.

Nanterre.

Nanterre.

Pontoise.

Pontoise.

Versailles.

Versailles.

Overseas departments


SIEGE


RESSORT

Extending to the territorial limits

of the judicial courts of :

Cour d'appel de Basse-Terre

Pointe-à-Pitre.

Basse-Terre, Pointe-à-Pitre.

Cayenne Court of Appeal

Cayenne.

Cayenne.

Fort-de-France Court of Appeal

Fort-de-France.

Fort-de-France.

Cour d'appel de Saint-Denis

Mamoudzou.

Mamoudzou.

Saint-Denis.

Saint-Denis.

Saint-Pierre.

Saint-Pierre.

Overseas collectivitiesSIÈGE

RESSORT
extending to the boundaries
of the judicial courts of :


Cour d'appel de Nouméa
Nouméa.

Nouméa.


Cour d'appel de Papeete
Papeete.

Papeete.

Mariela Petrova

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Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

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